Retroviruses are viruses whose replication requires the transcription of viral RNA into DNA using the viral reverse transcriptase molecules attached to the viral RNA. This reverse transcription is the opposite of normal transcription which makes RNA from DNA.
Known retroviruses include HIV-1, HIV-2, the herpes family of viruses, HTLV-1 and cytomegalovirus (CMV). HIV, the virus which is presently believed to cause acquired immunodefiency syndrome (AIDS), is considered one of the principle threats to human life and health worldwide.
Various anti-HIV compounds have been proposed as useful in the treatment and prevention of AIDS, e.g., zidovudine (AZT), didanosine (ddI), zalcitabine (ddC), nevirapine, and dextran sulfate. However, none of the proposed compounds have been proven to be totally effective in the treatment or prevention of AIDS. For example, the three currently FDA approved compounds for the treatment of AIDS, i.e., AZT, ddI and ddC, can all cause undesirable side effects in a patient, such as inhibition of bone marrow cell growth, and their effectiveness is limited by virus mutation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,389 describes certain thoicarboxylate ester compounds useful for inhibiting the growth or replication of HIV.
It is the purpose of this invention to provide novel hindered aromatic ester compounds useful as anti-viral agents which are less susceptible to plasma or liver esterases and which have low total body clearance.
It is also the purpose of this invention to provide a method for inhibiting or preventing the growth or replication of human immunodeficiency viruses using the novel hindered aromatic ester compounds.
Finally, it is also the purpose of this invention to provide compositions useful for inhibiting or preventing the growth or replication of human immunodeficiency viruses, comprising the novel hindered aromatic ester compounds.